Overview
- Multiple reports say select Group 1 referees have lost confidence in the Genius Sports system and want the league to consider a new vendor.
- During the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at St James' Park, the technology failed to resolve an offside involving Erling Haaland’s position, causing a roughly five-and-a-half-minute delay.
- PGMOL confirmed the Genius system could not rule on that decision, after which VAR reverted to Hawk-Eye to draw lines manually.
- The Premier League contracted Genius Sports for semi-automated offsides using a dedicated in-stadium camera network—reported as 30 iPhones capturing 100 frames per second—while Hawk-Eye supplies other VAR services from Stockley Park.
- League authorities and PGMOL declined to comment, and reports note other providers have also seen prolonged reviews in major competitions.